


Good Morning, San Antonio!

by Zanne



Category: CW RPF, Hairspray (2007), SPN RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: M/M, movie retell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-07
Updated: 2011-06-07
Packaged: 2017-10-20 05:11:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/209099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zanne/pseuds/Zanne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are two things Jared Padalecki loves in this world, dancing and Jensen Ackles. If he gets lucky, he might just get to do both.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good Morning, San Antonio!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to candygramme and ambiguous_opal for beta-ing! This is a sick mix of absolute ridiculousness and after school special. It's based on the movie Hairspray (the musical and not the Jon Waters version), with a little Footloose and Dirty Dancing thrown in. There are two lines almost directly cribbed from Hairspray, just because they were that hilarious and needed to be in here, and one adapted from Dirty Dancing. I know nothing about dancing, and my internet research didn't help all that much, so you're stuck with the little I know. Boerne is a suburb of San Antonio, so that's how the title came about. There are song links to some of the songs I felt applied to this story. The people belong to themselves, Priestly belongs to Ten Inch Hero, and Hairspray belongs to Jon Waters. No offense intended, as you can tell this is not meant to be taken seriously.

[Good Morning, San Antonio!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LOYbhl0_es)

  
                          

  
 _…Jared’s cock throbbed as Jensen swept him through the halls, Jensen’s strong thigh brushing against his groin with a teasing regularity until they paused in front of Danneel’s bevy of banshees, clustered thickly around Mrs. Henderson’s door. Danneel’s look of open-mouthed shock quickly turned to one of seething jealousy, bringing out the harsh lines of her face and making her look just like their sixty year old history teacher. Jared’s grin widened at the sight, but Jensen paid her no mind, dancing by her as if she and her gaggle of followers didn’t even exist._  


 _Jensen’s blazing green eyes saw no one but Jared, and remained fixed on his face as they sambaed past the principal’s office, nearly knocking over the gym teacher as Jensen spun Jared across the hall. Jared gracefully slid to his knees, pant legs flaring around his shins as he glided in a slow turn across the tiled floor. He spun to a stop facing Jensen, the split spotlight highlighting both Jensen’s lithe form and Jared’s figure poised so regally across from him._

 _Jensen reached out a hand, taking a deep breath to hit the final chorus as the orchestra started to slow, letting the entire school in on his true feelings for Jared as he belted out, “I will always looo-…”  
_  
 _The school bell suddenly shrieked in accompaniment, drowning out the rest of Jensen’s words as students flooded the hallway and cut off Jared’s view of Jensen. Jared struggled to his feet, his dance suit morphing into too short khakis when he tripped over his own shoelaces as he tried to push his way through the masses in search of Jensen, the bell for passing period only getting louder and louder with every second….  
_  
The alarm jolted Jared out his favorite dream, and it took Jared a few seconds to realize he wasn’t standing in the middle of the school hallway with high-water pants and a raging erection. He frowned at the clock’s cheerful jangle; it had cut Jensen’s latest serenade short, something just under nuclear holocaust on Jared’s list of crimes against nature.

And Jensen had just been about to confess his undying love. Dammit. That was Jared’s favorite part. They couldn’t get to the blowjobs without that part.

Well, they _could_ , but Jared’s momma had raised him to be a good boy.

However, if he were really honest with himself, Jared was willing to overlook some of the formalities for Jensen Ackles, but he sure wasn’t going let his momma know anything about that.

Jared threw his legs over the edge of his bed, wincing as he palmed his cock through his pajamas. It was an all too familiar ache, the first step in his morning routine. He automatically averted his gaze from the autographed picture of Jensen that was tucked in the mirror over his dresser, too embarrassed to be seen like this, even by its blank, wide-eyed gaze.

“Jaaared! Pancakes!”

A smile broke over his face as he jumped to his feet, embarrassment forgotten.

And there was step number three.

He stopped by the bathroom to take care of step number two on his way to breakfast. 

                                                                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The long brick façade of Boerne High School stretched across the immaculate expanse of green grass that spread in a perfect rectangle in front of the property. Jared could just make out the lawn spilling out behind the collection of buildings that comprised the high school, spreading like a bridal train to encompass the football field, track, and tennis courts that were the jewels in the crown of the district.

Jared took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of freshly cut grass, damp asphalt, and Axe body spray that carried heavily in the air around the groups of students killing time before the warning bell forced them inside.

Today, Jared told himself, was going to be a _great_ day.

“Hey, Jay-red! How’s it hangin’, buddy? Did you beat the meat to Ackles’ mug this morning?”

Jared optimistic outlook took a hit, and he hunched his shoulders in humiliation, glancing around furtively in the hopes that no one heard Chad’s rather loud mouth announcing his business across the lawn.

But things continued as usual, the crowd of students milling on the grass in front of the high school ignoring everything that didn’t have anything to do directly with themselves.

Thinking his friend might’ve missed him in the crowd, Chad’s voice got even louder, almost obliterating the encouraging chants of the cheerleaders practicing for the pep rally later that day.

“Dude! I’m surprised Ackles’ picture isn’t obliterated by all of your spu-.”

Jared tackled Chad into a tree, slapping a hand over his mouth as Chad’s body slammed into the trunk, his pained huff hot against Jared’s palm. “Shut up!” Jared hissed pleadingly. “Remember that talk we had about public vs. private conversations?”

It was at that moment Jensen Ackles and his posse decided to walk by. Danneel swept by with her usual amount of disdain for everyone not part of their crowd, and the boys yelled at each other amiably as they tossed a football back and forth. One of them caught sight of Jared and Chad over the stair railing and shouted out an automatic insult, the response almost Pavlovian whenever they deigned to notice Jared’s presence.

“Hey, fag. That your girlfriend?”

Jared ignored the insult, though Chad managed to flip a cheerful finger in the boy’s direction. His breath caught when Jensen’s eyes – _God! Those eyes!_ \- paused on him, and Jared was barely cognizant enough to offer Jensen a small smile since his bloodflow had taken a decidedly southward direction. Jensen responded with an adorably confused look at the two men pressed up against the tree, before his eyes slid away, and he followed his friends inside.

Jared’s head fell onto Chad’s shoulder with a groan. “Oh, God. Do you think he heard you?”

Chad just shrugged and licked Jared’s palm.

Jared snatched his hand away as Chad made a gagging noise and stuck out his tongue. “Eeew, I can taste your homo-love for Ackles. Didn’t you wash your hands this morning?”

“Don’t be such a jerk,” Jared replied under his breath, still staring in the direction Jensen and his crew had disappeared, as if hoping the boy might reappear and sweep him off his feet.

But, as usual, the world at Boerne High proceeded onward as if Jared and Chad didn’t exist to mar its perfection. Jared slapped Chad on the back of his head and Chad just glowered at him, still wiping his tongue off on his shirt as he mumbled, “Got any gum? It tastes like I had your dick in my mouth.” 

                                                                                                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jared found it hard to believe, but his teachers must have discovered a way to make time stop, because there was no way school could possibly last this long. Every time he looked at the clock, the hands seemed to be cemented in place, except for that one awkward half hour where they actually seemed to go backwards. Danneel was being particularly unpleasant during Chemistry, and her bitchiness could well throw the planets out of alignment.

NASA should really look into that.

The only time this wasn’t an issue was Economics, where he could stare at the back of Jensen’s head the whole period. Jared would pass the hour trying to count the freckles dotting the nape of Jensen’s neck. The fiscal policies of third world countries during World War II had nothing on Jensen Ackles’ freckles, so time was free to do whatever it wanted as long as Jared could stare at the soft, golden hairs bordering that pale, freckled flesh where Jared wanted to leave his mark.

No, Jared did not have a problem, no matter what Chad said.

But finally… _finally_ …the bell rang, heralding the end of the school day. Jared met Chad outside of the gym, grabbed his hand, and dragged him down the street after him at a full run, dodging cars and pedestrians with a skill born of practice and luck.

“C’mon, we’ll miss it!”

Chad’s complaints were lost under the sound of the cars speeding by.

When Jared paused for breath outside of the Sears on First, Chad shook his hand free, saying, “What did I tell you about holding my hand, freak? I don’t want the ladies thinkin’ we’re an item.”

“Yeah, like that’s a big concern,” Jared agreed with a grin, resting his hands flat against the window to stare at the big-screen TVs behind the glass, flashing with a bright array of lights as the heavy beat of the opening credits made the pane throb against his palms. “Shut up! It’s starting!”

A compact, but sturdily built man with bright blue eyes bounded onto the screens, brushing his long hair away from his face as he belted out, “Welcome, cool cats, to the _Kris Kane Show_!”

The music grew louder as the camera swung to the right to show a burly man with scraggly blond hair strumming away on his guitar, the rest of the band smiling behind him.

“Say hello to Steve Carlson and the _Kris Kane Show_ band!”

The music quickly spilled into a more upbeat tune, and as Kris Kane belted out the theme song to Boerne’s hottest teen dance show, he wiggled his hips in time with the music, in ways that would have made Jared’s momma blush. Jared just swung his hips in sync to his motions, making Chad roll his eyes before focusing on the television as teenagers began sashaying out from backstage to join Kris Kane, partnering up to dance along to the song.

Chad nudged Jared with his elbow. “This show is so lame, dude. It’s like it’s set in the Stone Age or something.”

“Sssshhh!” Jared hissed back with a flailing hand motion, only half paying attention to anything Chad-related. “It’s almost time!”

“And now to introduce the coolest kids in town…”

The teenagers lined up, jitterbugging down the row in pairs as they cheerfully introduced themselves to the home audience - as if everyone watching didn’t already know who they were.

A petite blonde girl bounded up first, her tall, dark haired partner looming over everyone else.

“Hi! I’m Allison!”

“Tom!”

They bounced off to be followed by a shorter girl with long brown hair and a smile that reminded Jared of a chipmunk. Her partner was a sleeker, tall boy with short, cropped blond hair and a wry grin - as if he realized how ridiculous this whole thing was, and loved it anyway.

“Kristen!”

“Justin!”

A petite, dark-haired girl came up next, her partner a lanky black kid with a wide, friendly smile.

“Sandy!”

“Aldis!”

Next came another small chestnut haired girl – making Jared wonder if females over 5’4 were even allowed on the show, followed by a gangly blond boy with large ears.

“Sophia!”

“Jake!”

A perfectly poised redhead came out next, her lips pursed in something that was supposed to look pleasant, Jared was sure, and he wrinkled his nose against the glass in response.

“I’m Danneel!”

A hush fell over the group as the drumbeats rolled in excitement, and the spotlight came up to highlight Jared’s dream center stage as Jensen paused in his dancing to wink at the camera and say, “And I’m Jensen!”

The canned studio audience shrieked with excitement, and Jared was sure he could hear their feet stamping on the bleachers as the catcalls and whistles exploded in response.

The camera picked up Kris Kane once more as he crooned heartily, “We’ll be right back after a word from our sponsors….”

Chad jerked his hand out of reach as Jared grabbed for it, instead taking off down the sidewalk before Jared had time to say anything. “C’mon, slowpoke,” he shouted back over his shoulder. “I’ll beat you home before the commercials are over!”

A couple of minutes later, Jared was slamming his way into his house, Chad already leaping over the back of the sofa to grab the remote just in time to tune in as the show came back on air.

“I’ve got a treat for you today….”

“Y’know,” Chad interrupted, crunching on some stale chips he’d found in a crumpled bag on the floor. “I hear his name is actually spelled with a ‘C’, but he was gay enough to make it match.”

“The studio wanted it that way,” Jared defended automatically. “Now shut up.”

“It’s a wonder your boy isn’t Jensen Jackles.” Chad snorted in amusement, coughing when a chip lodged in his throat.

Jared ignored his friend’s imminent demise as the song slowed, and Jensen swept Danneel into his arms, the picture perfect couple for the Sweetheart’s Dance.

“What does he see in her?!” Jared complained with a huff, slouching back against the couch.

“Great tits and an ass that won’t quit?” Chad offered, the ‘duh’ evident in his voice. “Maybe he likes that she doesn’t have a dick?”

“She can’t even dance!”

“Yeah, ‘cause all guys care about is if a girl can dance,” Chad scoffed, inspecting a half-empty soda can that he’d found under the coffee table. “This still good?”

“I’m a much better dancer than she is!” Jared insisted and glared at the television, where Jensen now had his arms wrapped around Danneel, holding her close as the band sang a syrupy song about young love or some other kind of crap.

“Get yourself a vagina and you’ll be the prettiest girl at prom,” Chad suggested. “Then there’d be no way Ackles could resist your charms.”

“You’re not helping.”

Their budding argument was interrupted by Kris Kane’s loud voice spilling from the tiny TV.

“Hey there, guys and gals! I’ve got an important announcement to make, so pay attention!” He yanked on Jake’s arm, and the lanky boy fell into frame beside him, looking decidedly uncomfortable. “Jake here’s been accepted to the New York School of Ballet, and he’ll be leaving to start classes this week. What this means is that we have an opening on the Kris Kane Council for a new featured dancer! So c’mon down to the studio tomorrow morning at 8:00 and try your luck. You might just be selected to be one of the coolest kids in town!”

Jared’s excited squeal reached a pitch that made Mrs. Laurie’s dog start howling next door. He bounced to his feet, arms flailing wildly, until Chad yanked on his belt and he tumbled back on the couch in a breathless heap.

“Did you hear that?!”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think I could get on the Council?”

“Sure.”

Jared frowned at his best friend, who didn’t look nearly excited enough about this fortunate turn of events. Chad caught Jared’s disapproving expression and sighed, leaning back to make himself more comfortable. “Look, Jay…you’re trying out to be an ensemble dancer on a public access show that hasn’t set foot in a decade past the 50’s. You’ll probably be the only person to show up. You’ll get in, no problem.” Chad slapped Jared on the knee encouragingly, but Jared didn’t look any happier at Chad’s reassurance.

Chad took another breath and admitted off-handedly, “And you’re a good dancer. You’re a shoe-in. Ackles will have a new leading lady in no time.”

Jared’s smile brightened the room. 

                                                                                            [[The Nicest Kids in Town](http://www.bluepeel.com/videos/video/8exH-bRvqEE&feature=youtube_gdata)]

                                                                                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Christian!”

The tone was hard, and was followed shortly by the ominous click-clack of stilettos walking down the hall towards him. Chris glanced around for any means of escape, only to find himself alone, everyone else who had been loitering nearby disappearing in a sudden surge towards the nearest available exits.

Realizing he was trapped, Chris took a deep breath and calmly straightened the lapels on his suit jacket, turning to face the head of the station straight-on. The older woman had her hair pinned back in an elegant French twist this afternoon, leaving the softening, square lines of her face revealed, her stern gaze shielded by the thick brush of her lashes. Chris thought the overtly female touches were some strange form of camouflage, like putting a barracuda in lipstick and heels, and he hadn’t fallen for it, yet.

“Ms. Ferris…so nice to see you this afternoon. I thought you were having lunch with the mayor today?”

“Can it, Kane,” she snapped sharply. “What did I tell you about that kind of dancing?”

Chris tried to look innocent, knowing he hadn’t been able to pull that off effectively since high school. “What kind of dancing?”

She frowned, deep lines carving their way around her mouth. “Don’t bullshit me, Kane.”

“C’mon, Ferris! It was the closest thing to modern we’ve seen on this show! This is not an old folks’ home; this is a _teen dance show_. We need to liven it up a bit, pick some more recent music, utilize local talent – make this show _worth_ watching!”

She took a step forward, her voice steady as she punctuated her words with sharp jabs to his chest. “This show is number one in its time slot. Our advertising revenue is through the roof. I will not have you screw this up because you want to try out _your_ music on _my_ show.”

Ms. Ferris took another step forward and, even though she wasn’t a tall woman, with the aid of her heels Chris felt as if she were towering over him, and she pressed him back against the wall. “Our sponsors consist of men and women of our community who feel that today’s ‘modern’ influences are detrimental to the children, and who have decided to create a clean and wholesome program for the children of this city and its surrounding areas to watch. So what if it’s a little out-dated? It’s what they want, and it’s what they are paying for. Which means you need to suck it up and keep the hose in the firehouse, you hear me?”

Chris ground his teeth together, barely managing to say, “Yes, ma’am,” before Ms. Ferris was walking off, her steps more delicate as she approached the small group of older gentlemen and ladies who had appeared at the end of the hall, several dressed in religious accouterments, and they strolled off towards the set.

Chris closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths, and he felt the silent presence of someone at his side before emitting a frustrated sigh.

“Tell me why I’m doing this again,” Chris – not Kris on his off-time, no matter what the sponsors wanted - demanded as he ran a hand through his sweaty hair until it puffed around his face like a startled halo.

“Because it pays the bills,” Steve reminded him, as he finished zipping his guitar into its case. He tossed it over his shoulder and walked with Chris towards the dressing room. “Look at the bright side. At least you talked them out of making us cut our hair…again.” Steve shook out his blond hair and held up a fist in solidarity. “Fight the good fight, brother.”

“I hate this job,” Chris growled under his breath, forcing a pained smile and a wave in the direction of the sponsors that were clustered thickly in the confines of the audio booth with Ms. Ferris. “’Coolest kids in town’, my ass. Some of ‘em are total dicks.”

“Even the girls?”

“ _Especially_ the girls,” Chris grumbled, before restating his standard complaint. “The music is so old school. Who in the hell listens to this shit these days?”

“The guys with the money?”

Chris chose to ignore this logic, and focused on the crux of his problem. “How is this show still on the air?”

“Besides your charming presence?” Steve laughed, giving Chris a half-hearted shrug. “It’s like I tell you every time. It’s the only thing on in this time slot that’s even remotely entertaining. You’ve got the kids over a barrel – it’s either you or that British house cleaning show.”

“All we need is Ritchie and the Fonz, and things will be just peachy keen.”

“Is that sarcasm I detect?”

“That’s despair.”

Steve grinned and slapped him on the back. “Does beer work for that?”

“Tequila…this is definitely a tequila level intervention.” 

                                                                                                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jensen did his best to dodge, but Jeannie was too quick for him, planting a firm, if tiny, hand on his shoulder and pinning him in the make-up chair as she liberally coated his head with the hairspray.

“Jeannie!” he grumbled playfully. “I can feel the hole in the ozone layer widening as we speak.”

“Don’t be such a smartass, Jen,” she replied. “You can spike that pretty hair with all the gel you want, but if it deflates when you get sweaty during the show, Ms. Ferris will have my hide.” She tweaked the front of his hair to ensure its solidity, adding with an evil grin, “You know she prefers it stiff and hard.”

“Jensen! Jensen, sweetie…oh! There you are!” Ms. Ferris swept into the make-up room with her usual brusqueness, pausing by Jensen’s chair to study him in the mirror. She reached out to force a stray piece of hair into submission, drawing her long nails down his cheek as she pulled back.

“Give him another spritz, Jeannie. He’s got to look just _perfect_ for the promo shots.” Ms. Ferris rested her hand on his back, caressing the fabric until Jensen shifted forward to keep his ass out of reach. “Then I need a few minutes with our little star.”

With that, she turned and strode out to the main stage, her heels clicking with an almost militant authority across the linoleum.

Jensen winced, watching Jeannie’s body start to shake as she waited for Ms. Ferris to leave the room, and he gave her a glare in the mirror as he hissed under his breath, “Not funny.”

Jeannie was laughing too hard to reply. 

                                                                                                                       ~~~~~~~~~~~

“Jensen.”

Ms. Ferris was leaning against her desk, arms crossed under her breasts so that they looked even fuller. Jensen nervously glanced over his shoulder at the door she had closed so solidly behind him before taking her standard position, legs on display from her half-seated position and her pencil thin skirt.

“You’ve got a future, kid. With that face….” She slipped off the desk and slunk closer to his chair, dragging her index finger along his cheekbone. “You could be a star. That’s why you’re on this show, right?”

“Yes, Ms. Ferris.”

“Your face and my connections - a match made in heaven.” Her fingers dropped to his throat, trailing along the edge of his shirt collar, until Jensen fidgeted nervously. “You need someone just a little older, and a lot wiser, to steer you through those shark infested waters….”

Ms. Ferris’ fingernails dragged up through his hair, leaving tracks through the stiff strands as her other hand snuck its way under Jensen’s jacket.

With a muffled squeak of surprise, Jensen leapt to his feet and slowly backed towards the door, saying, “Yes, ma’am. That’s why I’ve got my momma to help me out.” Jensen cocked his head to the side, purposefully widening his eyes until they gleamed with doe-eyed innocence. “You know my momma? She says she remembers you from when she went to high school…you graduated when she was a freshman?”

At the thin-lipped expression that planted itself on Ms. Ferris’ face, Jensen blindly reached for the doorknob behind him and stuttered, “I-I’d better go see Jeannie to get my hair fixed. And you’ve got the auditions to oversee, right?” 

                                                                                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The studio was exactly like Jared imagined, minus the little flying Jensens that would have made it the Heaven he always assumed it would be. The walls were buttressed with long swatches of light blue drapery, decorated with the names of local advertisers, and large ornamental lamps shaped like starbursts hung along the sides of the room, forming their own planetary system. The floor was a rubberized linoleum, designed to cut down on the sound of the many feet traipsing across it, useful for a show dedicated to dancing, Jared assumed. But best of all the gigantic _Kris Kane Show_ sign taking up nearly the entire wall behind the main stage, each letter on its own plastic tile, like an array of multi-colored tic-tacs strewn across the fabric.

Jared made Chad take a picture of him standing in front of it.

“I’m so excited, I’m about to throw up,” Jared hissed, bouncing on the balls of feet with barely subdued enthusiasm.

“Then how about you not stand right next to me?” Chad said, pushing Jared away to get a clearer view of the dance floor. He threw a wink and a leer in the general direction of the only girls on set; there were a few whose faces he recognized from the show, but most of them were unfamiliar.

“I’m about to meet the man I’m going to marry, and lose my virginity to today – hopefully both within the next hour,” Jared said with all due seriousness. “This is the most important day of my entire _life_.” Jared planted himself in front of his best friend, grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. “Focus, Chad!”

“I’m trying, dickhead, but you’re blocking my view!” Chad craned his neck to peer over Jared’s shoulder, but most of the girls seemed to be dispersing at the arrival of an older, attractive woman who stalked onto the set as if she owned the place.

“Attention!” The new arrival clapped her hands sharply, and all the nervous chattering immediately stopped. The other girls on-set flared out behind her, forming a line of dancers splayed out across the floor. Chad immediately recognized Danneel, front and center, and he pointed at her, giving Jared a thumbs down as a show of support.

“My name is Ms. Ferris. I run this station, and am in charge of all things related to the _Kris Kane Show_.” Her eyes roamed over the ten candidates, her lip curling in distaste. She glanced to the side at Danneel and muttered, “Oh, this is going to be _good_.”

Danneel just snickered in response, before refocusing on the boys in front of her and artfully arranging her mouth into a practiced moue.

“All right! My girls here will go through a few steps, and I want you all to do your best to keep up.”

As the woman strolled back and forth in front of those assembled for the audition, she called out a rapid fire series of dances, the girls behind her performing them like push button automatons, switching quickly between movements at her every word. Jared looked as happy as Chad had ever seen him, making him once again wonder at his friend’s sanity for loving this out-dated crap so much.

Ms. Ferris eyed the boys in front of her with a critical eye as they danced, pausing in front on one to snap, “What's your name?”

“G-Gabriel,” he stuttered.

“Grow another six inches before you even think about coming back,” Ms. Ferris ordered and gestured towards the door.

As the boy ran off, she stopped in front of a blue-haired young man. “And you?”

“Priestly,” the boy stated with obvious confidence.

“This is not _Sesame Street_.”

“They have better music,” he said with a shrug, and followed Gabriel out.

Next, she stopped in front of Jared and studied his shirt, her frown deepening. “You’re wearing pink.”

“ _Vogue_ said it makes people look more vibrant,” Jared replied with a smile, his eyes locked on hers as he twisted. “And I’m Jared.”

Ms. Ferris snorted. “This is not a gay pride parade. Go.” She waved him off as she walked further down the line.

Jared froze in place, disbelief evident of his face before his shoulders slumped in defeat. He stood there in shock, until Chad came to drag him out the door. 

                                                                                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jared slouched into homeroom forty minutes late, unable to lift his eyes from the floor. It just wasn’t fair. He had danced better than anyone there, and Ms. Ferris had sent him away without even paying attention to how fantastic he was!

“Mister Padalecki.”

Jared didn’t hear the voice calling him from the front of the room, and it took the growing snickers of his nearby classmates to make him lift his eyes to meet those of the teacher.

“ _Mister Padalecki_. Do you have a pass from the office to excuse your tardiness to my class?”

Jared slowly shook his head, wincing slightly as the teacher gave him a steady glare and scrawled something messily across the detention slip. Without a word, Jared got to his feet and grabbed his backpack, snagging the slip from the teacher’s hand as he left the room.

Detention on top of the complete and utter failure of his life so far. Just great. 

                                                                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jared was more than familiar with the room they used for detention. It’s drab beige walls, covered with old inspirational posters, the out-dated computer equipment, and the broken tables made him feel as if he were just another piece of school equipment the administration would like to store away and forget about before it caused any more trouble. He’d gotten into enough disagreements – one-sided though they might be - with other students over his sexual preferences that it was practically his home away from home.

He was considering asking his parents to donate their old couch in the basement so he at least could take a nap or something.

But when he walked in the door, he was met with something new and different. Music was playing from a beat up old radio, while the lifers – the students who managed to show up in detention on a nearly daily basis for some reason or another – were dancing across the floor.

Jared stood in the door, shocked for only a second, when a blue-eyed boy side-stepped his way over and ponied in front of Jared with an intrigued smile.

“What are you in for? Crimes against fashion?” The boy flicked at Jared’s pink flowered shirt and gave him an amused grin. “You’re Jared, right?”

“Yeah,” Jared said hesitantly, though he couldn’t help but start to swing his hips to the beat.

Music was his weakness. That, and Jensen Ackles.

“Where’s the teacher?”

The boy shrugged. “He said they don’t pay him enough for this, and left about twenty minutes ago. Said to do whatever we wanted as long as we didn’t burn down the school or leave this room until the bell rang, and that he’d be back later.”

Jared’s eyes widened in surprise

“They,” the boy said, gesturing over his shoulder to the other students, “said you’d probably be in some time today. I wanted to meet you.”

“Um…why?”

Jared’s bag was already dropped in the corner as he started to shimmy with the guy before him.

“My name’s Misha Collins,” the kid said, extending his hand. When Jared grabbed it, Misha spun him in a tight circle and dipped him quickly, before spinning him off to continue dancing. “I’m new…came here last month? I wanted to start a GLAAD club on campus and heard you might be the man to see.”

Jared just stared at him oddly, which urged Misha to continue. “The administration won’t let me bring a guy to prom. They refused to sell me a ticket.”

“You have a date?” Jared asked, squashing that little flare of jealousy that surged inside him. He’d been living in this town his whole life, and he didn’t have a date to prom, but here Misha was, not even here a month, and he _did_?

Chad would blame this on the fact that Jared was saving himself for Jensen, but Jared decided to ignore that logic.

Misha shrugged. “Not officially, no, but if I find a guy I want to go with, I’ll need a ticket.”

“So, why do you want to talk to me?”

“You get harassed on an almost daily basis, and you wonder what this has to do with you?” Misha asked dryly, arching an eyebrow in subdued amazement. “Don’t you want to be able to take your date to prom? You’ve got one already, right?”

Jared fidgeted on his feet, losing the beat for a moment as he tried to figure out what to say. “Um…are you hitting on me? I’m…uh…kind of taken.”

Misha threw back his head and laughed, before gazing at Jared once more. “Jensen Ackles?”

“How’d you know?”

“You stare at his ass like it’s a magnet.”

Jared chuckled and ducked his head, a blush pinkening his cheeks. “Is it that obvious?”

Misha punched him on the arm. “Totally understandable. It’s more entertaining than primetime. I’ve wasted a minute or two ogling it myself.” When Jared huffed at this news, Misha grinned once more, grabbing him and grinding against him to the slow beat of the music. Jared’s eyes widened at the move, his brain telling him that the _Kris Kane Show_ didn’t permit less than six inches of space between partners, and Misha was definitely breaking that rule.

“I’m not touching your boy, Padalecki. He’s all yours.”

Jared decided to overlook the infraction since they were just doing this for fun and melted against Misha, all loose-limbed and fluid, grumbling in embarrassment, “He’s not my boy!”

“No?” Misha gestured towards the door as he dipped him, where Jared saw an upside down Jensen framed by the still open door. He stood watching Jared with a vacant-eyed expression as Jared pushed his hips against Misha’s in time with the music, his usually pale skin covered with a heated flush.

When Jared stumbled to a stop, panting heavily, Jensen shook his head and forced a smile. He stepped through the open door, and gave Jared a friendly slap on the shoulder. “You’re a really good dancer. Today’s Open House Night on the show, and I’ll bet if Chris saw you dancing, you’d be a sure bet to get a spot on the Council.”

With a wink and another smile, Jensen left Jared standing frozen in the middle of detention, Misha laughing beside him.

“Go get ‘im, tiger.”

As the bell rang for the end of the period, Jared swept out of detention wearing a blissful smile and ran straight into Chad, who had come to collect him before their next class.

“Dude, you look wasted. Do they hide all the good drugs in detention?”

Jared sighed, staring at Jensen’s backside at the end of the hall, before he – and his ass - disappeared around the corner.

“I’m going to marry that man some day.” 

                                                                                   [[I Can Hear the Bells](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txciAos9R_w&feature=related)]

                                                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jared was unused to destiny stepping up and asking him to dance – particularly wearing Jensen’s face - so it took several hours of insults, threats to his hair, his wardrobe, his dick, and then a couple shots of Chad’s dad’s whiskey, before Jared could force himself to step through the doors of the studio where they filmed the _Kris Kane Show_ , particularly after his spectacular failure this morning.

The studio seemed a lot smaller with all of the people crammed inside it, and the room was garishly bright with all of the stage lights aimed at the mass of dancing bodies on the floor. Open House Friday was packed ten times as full as the usual show, since anybody between the ages of fifteen and eighteen were welcome to come and dance.

It was Jared’s favorite day of the month, surpassing even free nachos night at the bowling alley.

Jared loved nachos almost as much as he loved dancing, so that was saying something.

He nervously straightened his tie, mentally cursing the dress code that the show had for its dancers. It was harder to dance dressed up like an accountant; he’d far rather be wearing his jeans and tennis shoes, so he could really let loose.

Jared was pulled from his contemplation of his wardrobe by the sound of Jensen crooning on-stage, hair immaculate as always, his body swaying to the beat of the song as he clutched the microphone stand close to his chest. Jared was stunned into immobility at the sight, the swing of Jensen’s hips taking him to his happy place faster than any roomful of porn possibly could.

He was awakened from his lustful daze by Chad’s gruff snort and a quick elbow to his solar plexus. “Nice boner, Jay. Why dontcha use it to clear these dweebs out of our way?” Throwing his arms over his head, he crowed, “Snowplow!” and made a beeline for the ladies clustered near the punch bowl off-stage, leaving Jared standing alone on the edge of the dance floor.

Not daring to look back at Jensen on-stage for fear of drowning himself in drool, Jared glanced around the room. He saw Misha on the crowded dance floor, and Misha jerked his chin in invitation to join him.

Jared sashayed over, keeping the beat as he met up with Misha.

“What are you doing here?” Jared asked in surprise.

Misha shrugged. “Looking for a prom date? What’s gayer than this show in this town?”

Jared threw back his head and laughed, the sound mixing easily with Jensen’s husky singing. “Let’s show these straight boys how it’s done.”  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was the laugh that caught Jensen’s attention first. Whoever it was sounded like they were having the best time of their lives, and the deep, throaty timbre sent heat coiling down his spine.

His eyes sought the source of the sound, when his gaze caught a blur of motion on the dance floor. The figure broke out of its spin to pose John Travolta style, before kicking out a leg and shaking his ass to the music.

That redirected the heat to altogether new place, and Jensen tried to disguise his intrigue behind the mike stand as his blood pounded in his veins, forcing the song to spill out faster from his lips as his hips pumped harder to the beat.

Lost in the music, Jensen thought he recognized the tall boy dancing his ass off in the middle of the circle of people that had begun to form around him.

 _Jacob?_

 _Jason?  
_  
No, _Jared_.

He was the boy who had come out freshman year. Jensen had heard about it, knew that things hadn’t been easy for the kid since that moment, but he’d never bothered to know anything else about him. Sure, he’d seen him around – who could miss a guy that big? – but Jensen hadn’t really allowed himself to notice Jared, something inside telling him that to dwell too long might be a mistake.

Watching Jared dance, Jensen was beginning to regret that decision.

As the last note spilled from his lips, the song echoing from the walls, those on the dance floor held their breath for a moment. Jared stilled, posed in his last step, his skin glistening with sweat, before the crowd around him surged forward, screaming and cheering, slapping him on the back and catcalling for an encore.

Jensen felt Chris bound out on stage beside him, the quick elbow to his side indicating that it was time to pull out his performer’s smile. Jensen automatically slapped one on as Chris whistled into the microphone, the camera focusing on his face.

“Whoo-boy! Was that fantastic or what?! I think we’ve found the newest member of the Kris Kane Council!”

The audience erupted into cheers, Jared grinning and blushing as the other kids slapped him on the back, congratulating him on the job.

“Don’t forget – the Miss Teen Dance Queen competition is coming up, so keep watching so you can help choose Jensen’s next lead partner for the season!”

Jared peered up at Jensen from beneath his sweaty curtain of bangs, a wide smile on his face.

Jensen felt his own smile crack through the plastic performer version he usually wore on-stage, and he shared a pleased grin with the panting boy below him. 

                                                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I want that giant, homosexual boy off my TV show!”

Ms. Ferris nodded in agreement. “Mr. Kripke is right. This isn’t _Dance Fever_. His presence doesn’t fit in with our demographic.”

“And what demographic is that, Ferris?” Chris demanded, storming into the office. “Kids who like to dance? I thought that’s exactly what we were going for.” He peered at her shrewdly, his gaze narrowing. “Or is it the fact that he’s the only ‘out’ kid in town that doesn’t fit with your demographic? It’s not like it’s a secret since this cowpoke town could fit in my pocket, with enough room left over for a pack of cigs _and_ my wallet.”

Red crept up Mr. Kripke’s face and spilled onto his balding pate, making him look like he was about to explode with fury. Ms. Ferris’ reaction was more sedate, her lips pressing into a thin line as her nostrils flared, hands clenching under her arms and out of sight.

“No, Mr. Kane. That has nothing to do with our decision. We just feel that he brings an element to our program that spoils the wholesome image we’re trying to project.”

“Because he looks like he’s having fun?” Chris snorted in amusement. “He’s different – I like him!”

“You’re right, Chris,” Ms. Ferris agreed, oozing venom. “Maybe it is time for something different – like a _brand new host_.”

Chris crossed his arms over his chest, his usually bright blue eyes turning a stormy gray. “Yeah, but it sure is hard to fire the guy whose name is on the title card. How many other Kris Kane’s are out there?” With that, he stalked out the door.

Ms. Ferris huffed, shouting out, “Your name isn’t even Kris Kane! We made it up!”

“We revised it,” her assistant pointed out softly. “It _is_ his name, technically.”

“Shut up!” Ms. Ferris hissed.

Her assistant paused before timidly saying, “We’ve been getting a lot of calls about this afternoon’s show….”

A smile spread over Ms. Ferris’ face. “Complaints? Good. Send out a memo that we’re firing the kid before he gets on air again. He’s been banned from the studio.”

“Um…not exactly.” The assistant winced at the look Ms. Ferris shot her way. “People love him. They said it was the best show we’ve had on air in months. Advertisers are already calling for air time….”

Ms. Ferris hissed as Mr. Kripke took interest. “Really?” She could practically see the dollar signs in his eyes, and her frown dug its way in deeper. “Maybe this boy isn’t such a bad idea after all, Samantha. Give him a week. See how he does.”

“Yes…sir.” 

                                                                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jared hesitated outside the shop door, eyeing the ruffles and glitter decorating the window display with a wary apprehension. It didn’t help that the brick façade was painted a bright, vibrant pink that almost hurt his eyes to look at directly.

“I don’t know about this, Chad. Are you sure this is a good idea?”

Chad forced his eyes from the bedazzled chaps on the prominently displayed mannequin in front and slapped Jared on the back in what Jared’s assumed was supposed to be a reassuring manner.

“C’mon, Jay-man. With your unbelievable level of gayness and bizarre love of pink? It’s des-ti-ny!” Chad grabbed him by the arm and dragged him inside the store.

 _It’s Raining Men, Hallelujah  
It’s Raining Men, Amen!  
_  
The muzak spilling over the speakers was just a touch too loud for normal conversation, but that wasn’t what stopped Jared in his tracks.

It was the bald man dancing on the sales counter, wearing a feather boa and a sequined Speedo over his jeans as he sang along with the lyrics.

When he caught sight of Jared and Chad hidden amongst the racks of clothes, he jumped from the counter, and with a wide smile and his hand out, he ran across the store to the meet them. He grabbed Jared’s hand and shook it enthusiastically.

“Hello – Jared Padalecki, I hope.” His eyes scanned Jared from head to toe. “If there is a God, you’ll tell me you’re eighteen and into leather.”

“I’m…seventeen?” Jared replied with hesitation, hunching his shoulders at the disappointed huff that escaped the older man.

“Dammit. There go my plans for this weekend.” When he noted Jared’s frightened look, he flashed his teeth at him once more. “Kidding! If you were eighteen, I would have been happy to use you as a spokesperson for my adult store across town. But I guess I’ll have to use you for this little endeavor.” The man waved his hand absently at the store around him.

“Spokesperson?” Jared asked in surprise, just as Chad shouted, “You own the spank shop?! _Sweet!”_

“Yes!” the man answered both questions at once. At Jared’s continued blank stare, he stuck his hand out again. “Sorry, I get a little excited sometimes. I’m Mr. Pinky, but you can call me Mike; I kept my stage name for the store. You know how it goes, a little fame goes a long way to keeping these little hop on pop businesses running.”

“You’re _the_ Mr. Pinky?!” Chad shouted, twisting his head to the side and squinting. “Holy shit! I totally didn’t recognize you right side up!”

“A fan!” Mike purred, fluttering his eyelashes. “I didn’t think anyone would admit to knowing me in this little burg.”  
   
“You know this guy?” Jared hissed in Chad’s ear.

“Dude! You’ve had a computer in your room for how long? God designed that thing for porn, Jay. I’m embarrassed to know you right now.” Chad shook his head and admitted to Mike, “It’s like he’s a priest or something.”

“Kinky.” Mike took another assessing look at Jared, his eyes trailing up and down along Jared’s tall frame. “As I told you over the phone, Jared, I’ve got a business proposition for you. It’s not often you can find a good-looking gay kid in a town this far off the beaten path. Most of us emigrate to the big cities where they have, y’know, actual culture….”

“How do you know I’m gay?” Jared interrupted.

“I have two eyes and impeccable gaydar,” Mike boasted. At Jared’s disbelieving expression, he admitted, “And I asked around, just to be sure.”

“What do you want?”

“I want to make you a supermodel,” Mike said, drawing his hands out as if reading Jared’s name across a marquee. “Or at least an okay model – I need a face for my store. As you can tell,” he said with a flourish, “this is the only place in town that caters to the more fabulous amongst us.”

Chad picked up a pile of lacy fabric lying on a nearby table, studying it curiously before figuring out it was some sort of blouse. “How in the hell do you stay in business in this town?”

“I get a lot of catalogue orders,” Mike admitted with a shrug. “And my stock is fantastic.” He jutted out his hips to show off the sequined Speedo. “See? I just got these in for the summer rush.”

Chad just arched an eyebrow in quiet disbelief. “Would Jay-man get paid?”

“I could pay in trade,” Mike suggested with a leer.

“Forget it,” Chad said with a laugh. “He’s saving himself for Jensen Ackles.”

“Exquisite choice!” Mike agreed, nodding his head sharply. “If it weren’t already decades and a bank account in the Bahamas too late, I might just save myself for Jensen Ackles.” He eyed Jared speculatively. “Do you think he’d be willing to do a dual ad with you? If I had the two of you together….”

“If Jay ever does _anything_ with Ackles, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t let you watch,” Chad said distractedly, bending over the glass display case to study the beaded thongs.

Mike sighed as if heartbroken. “There goes my Christmas wish.” He straightened to his full height, tossing the draped end of the boa over his shoulder as he asked in a more business-like tone, “So? What do you think? You’ll get a small monetary compensation, but I was thinking what you need is a stylist. I pick out some clothes for you to wear on the show, and you get to keep them. You get some style, and I get some name recognition. How does that sound?”

Jared opened and closed his mouth in surprise, his brain taking its time to process this turn of events. It finally settled on what he felt was the most pressing point.

“I wouldn’t have to wear the sequined Speedo, would I?”

Mike grinned, his eyes glittering. “Not on that stage, sweetie. Save the sparkle for the bedroom.”

“Can we get a discount on porn?” Chad asked.

“We’ll talk,” Mike assured him as he directed the boys towards his office. 

                                                                                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sophia was pretty okay for a girl. If Jared had to be partnered with a girl at all, he was glad it was her. She had a wicked sense of humor and seemed to think Danneel was a bit of a priss, so Jared felt they might yet manage to get along, even with Danneel sneering at them across the dance floor.

Despite spending nearly two hours an afternoon with Jensen for the past few days, Jared had yet to lose his virginity in a storage closet or on some mythical casting couch, as he had imagined. In fact, he still hadn’t managed to say more than a fumbling hello, flushing pink and stumbling over his words whenever Jensen neared. But that was alright, since Jensen seemed surprised to see him every time they bumped into each other back stage – albeit literally - as if he were unaware Jared was around to stay, though he was always polite and greeted Jared with a cautious grace.

Totally understandable, since Jared had almost crushed him that one time, but he couldn’t help that Jensen equated to something like an inner ear imbalance where Jared was concerned, that led to him tripping over his own feet and falling over a lot.

Maybe it was a good idea they didn’t dance together, after all.

“Jared,” Lauren hissed, poking him in the arm and breaking him out of his latest fantasy involving Jensen, the boom mike, and a jar of marshmallow fluff.

“Hhhmm…yeah? Wha-?” Jared managed smoothly, turning to face the woman.

“It’s time to get ready for your commercial spot. We’ve got to hurry!”

“Oh! Right!” Jared rushed after her to the dressing room, hesitating for a second to ask, “Is it something I can wear in front of my momma?” 

                                                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The commercial spot, shot live to insert into the program, wasn’t nearly as bad as Jared had feared. He’d been changed into a pair of distressed jeans, a tight gray T-shirt with a subtle, glossy black graphic decorating his chest and a form-fitting blue-striped button down highlighted with silver thread left hanging open over it. All of his accessories were also supplied by Mr. Pinky, so he had a leather cuff bracelet he rather liked, as well as a few strings of wooden beads looped around his other wrist. His boots were artfully scuffed, and he looked like he belonged on the cover of some teen fashion magazine.

All he had to say was a few words about how cool Pinky’s was for the hippest clothes in town, and the announcer added that all of Jared’s clothes as seen on the _Kris Kane Show_ were supplied by Pinky’s, located in downtown Boerne on 9th Street and Fig.

And that was that - Jared’s first gig as a supermodel. He wasn’t sure he would be able to ever live it down if Chad weren’t being supplied with half price porn to keep his mouth shut.

As he rushed backstage to change, the taped commercials now running, he ran straight into Jensen, who looked him up and down, gaze lingering on his chest as he stared at him with a dazed expression.

“Uh…hi, Jensen,” Jared managed to squeak out, coughing to clear his throat as he tried not to stare.

“Um…hi,” Jensen replied, blinking. “You look…good.” Jensen’s cheeks flushed when he realized what he’d said, and he added quickly, “Um…I mean…Pinky’s has really nice stuff.”

Jared’s face broke out into a grin as he nodded in agreement. “But stick to the front. I think some of the things in back might be a little…uncomfortable for everyday wear.”

Jensen laughed in surprise, his eyes crinkling at the corners when he smiled. “I’ll make note of that.”

The stagehands started shouting for the dancers to get back into position, and Jensen began to move towards the dance floor as Jared headed to change. Before reaching the curtain that separated the back hall from the stage floor, where Danneel stood waiting, her foot tapping impatiently, Jensen turned around and shouted down the hall, “Hey, Jared!”

“Yeah, Jensen?”

“I think you should definitely keep the jeans.” 

                                                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jared heard the whispers gathering behind him, not that anyone was trying to keep him from hearing.

He kind of thought the point was for him to know what they all really thought of him, anyhow.

Danneel leaned over towards Kristen, her whispering voice pointedly louder than the others.

“Jared is so smart that he tutors the entire football team! I don’t think it’s at all strange that he goes home with grass stains all over his back!” She giggled brightly as she sat back in her seat, her teeth gleaming in Jared’s direction when he glanced over his shoulder at this latest bit of made up gossip.

“Danni,” Jensen interjected under his breath. “That’s not…nice.”

Danneel glared at him playfully, her lower lip jutting out at his slight admonishment. “I can’t help it if it’s true.”

“Ladies and gentlemen….” Mr. Beaver’s voice came thundering from the front of the room. “Do we have something to share?”

Danneel’s gasp came sharp and clear, her voice projecting dismay as she said loudly, “Jared! That is _not_ true! Mr. Beaver doesn’t have sex with his cat!” She crumpled a piece of paper in her hand, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

The entire class giggled at her outburst, and Mr. Beaver stalked over, taking the paper from Danneel’s loose grasp. He unfolded it quickly, and whatever he saw made his face blanch before two spots of red dotted his cheeks.

“Mr. Beaver, I didn’t-…”

Mr. Beaver didn’t bother to listen to Jared’s explanation. He just tore off a detention slip and pointed Jared towards the door.

Jensen jumped up from his seat, fists clenched at his sides, silently watching Jared walk to the door. Mr. Beaver arched an eyebrow and asked, “Yes, Mr. Ackles? Do you have something to add?”

Jensen looked over at Jared paused in the doorway, and his fists slowly loosened. “Yeah, Mr. Beaver…um…screw you! And…and your cat!” Jensen’s eyes widened at his own temerity as he held his breath, awaiting Mr. Beaver’s response.

Mr. Beaver shook his head and tore off another slip as Danneel gasped aloud. “Jensen!”

Jensen ignored her as he walked towards Jared, and they both exited together.

Not a second later, Chad popped out of his seat, giving Mr. Beaver an offhand wave. “See ya later, Beaver. I’ve got an appointment.”

Mr. Beaver just passed him a detention slip as he strolled by. 

                                                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Thanks for the support, Jensen,” Jared said shyly as they walked towards the detention room at the far end of the school. Chad hacked loudly behind them, and Jared added, “You too, Chad!”

“Danneel was just being…herself,” Jensen explained, not quite looking Jared in the eye.

“Yeah, an uber-bitch,” Chad offered as he forced his way between them. “I’d still do her.”

“She’s not really that…bad,” Jensen tried again, but winced at the disbelieving look the two other boys shot him.

As they approached the non-descript door at the end of the hall, they could hear a dull pounding making the walls vibrate. Chad threw open the door to detention with a gleeful, “Hello, bitches!” and threw himself into the group of kids gyrating in the center of the room.

“Hi, Misha!” Jared said with a dorky wave as the other boy came up to them with a big smile. “This is Jensen.”

Misha nodded a hello, and Jensen shifted awkwardly on his feet. “So, what are you in for?”

Misha idly mash potatoed as he replied, “Protesting the use of Styrofoam plates in the cafeteria. Apparently, it’s against health codes to have a naked guy sitting on the salad bar.”

“That was _your_ ass print?” Chad called out as he danced his way over. “Nice!”

Misha’s smile grew more genuine as he turned to meet Chad. “I’ve been told it’s my best side.”

“And this is my friend Chad….”

Misha waved a dismissive hand in Jared’s direction, turning his full attention to Chad. “He didn’t say nearly enough about you.”

“You know Jay. If it’s not Jensen’s ass, then it doesn’t exist.” Jared flushed at Chad’s lack of discretion with Jensen standing right there, but Jensen didn’t seem to be paying attention, his eyes fixed on the poster of the kitten hanging from a tree branch in the front of the room. Misha and Chad drifted off as they danced, slowly drawing closer as they continued to talk, and leaving Jensen and Jared relatively alone.

“Huh” Jared muttered to himself as he watched Chad and Misha together. “I did not expect that.”

“The Spanish Inquisition?” Jensen asked with a grin.

Jared laughed aloud, throwing his head back as he chortled at Jensen’s joke. “That I’d ever meet someone weirder than Chad,” Jared admitted.

“C’mon, twinkletoes! Dance!” Chad ordered Jared from across the room, where he was grinding against Misha. It looked like an even more perverted form of dirty dancing, and Jared was wondering how Chad had managed to mesh lapdance and Patrick Swayze together.

“You wanna try?” Jensen asked Jared, arching his eyebrow suggestively.

Jared nodded wordlessly, mouth going dry at the thought.

Jensen stepped closer, moving his hips against Jared’s as the music surrounded them, sucking them into the beat. At the first press of Jensen’s groin against his, Jared responded, pushing back until they were writhing against each other as they danced.

Jared hoped this turned out as well for him as it had for Jennifer Gray.

He felt Jensen’s breath hot against his cheek as he turned his head to bury his nose in Jared’s hair, following along the curve of his throat until Jared was sure that Jensen’s lips were hovering over where his pulse throbbed beneath his skin.

The beat of the music deepened, matching the throbbing in Jared’s groin, and he hoped Jensen remained unaware of Jared’s response to his proximity, even though that had to be impossible since Jensen was molded against him.

Jared refocused to find Jensen staring into his eyes, his breath panting roughly in time with Jared’s. The friction between them was making heat pool dangerously in Jared’s belly, and he hoped he didn’t embarrass himself, because he never wanted this to end.

Jensen’s face drew closer, until Jared could make out nothing but a vague, Jensen-shaped blur before him. He felt the lightest touch of Jensen’s lips brush over his, when they were interrupted by the ringing of the final bell. Jared found himself staring at Jensen from several feet away, where Jensen had leapt when the bell broke the spell.

Jared had serious issues with bells these days.

Misha jogged over with Chad, and pointedly ignored the weirdness emanating between the two panting boys. “There’s a meeting at my house after school. Wanna come? Chad’s driving over with me.” Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed Chad’s hand and rushed out the door, leaving Jared staring after them open-mouthed.

“I think your friend’s just been kidnapped by the naked salad guy,” Jensen pointed out with a slightly worried frown, avoiding Jared’s eyes.

“I’d be more worried for Misha,” Jared said, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. “You want to go?”

Jensen shrugged, cheeks flushed as he gazed at Jared from the corner of his eye. “Sure. They don’t need us at the studio; the studio heads and sponsors are having another meeting today, so they’re showing a rerun.”

“Do they have a lot of these meetings?”

Jensen shrugged, looking confused. “Not usually, but they’ve sure had a lot of them lately.”

“Since I got on the Council?” Jared asked with resignation.

Jensen looked surprised at his assumption. “I’m sure it has nothing to do with you. You’re a good dancer. It’s probably ad time or something.”

“Yeah, sure. C’mon. We’ve got to catch up to Chad and Misha.” 

                                                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Despite following Misha and Chad as quickly as they could, Jared and Jensen lost them somewhere in the parking lot. Fortunately, Jared had Misha’s address from a hastily scrawled note stuffed under his windshield wiper, so he and Jensen drove over together. When they finally got there, it took several minutes for Misha to answer the door, his shirt untucked and something that looked suspiciously like a hickey decorating his throat.

“Oh…nice to see you. C’mon in,” Misha urged, panting softly as he tried to straighten his clothes. When Jared entered the living room, he saw Chad sprawled on the couch, looking just as rumpled as Misha. He just arched an eyebrow in Chad’s direction and Chad shrugged in response, shifting to make space for Misha beside him.  
   
Jared slumped into the remaining armchair, and Jensen shifted awkwardly beside him, eyeing the limited space beside the two boys lounging so closely on the couch. Jared hid a smile, tugging Jensen down to sit on the arm of his chair, deliberately ignoring the curve of Jensen’s hip against his bicep.

If he thought about it, he’d never be able to concentrate on anything else.

“Um….” Jared coughed, the proximity of Jensen’s ass short-circuiting the speech centers in his brain for a few seconds. “So…uh, you said something about a meeting?”

“Yeah!” Misha agreed, sounding a little distracted himself. His hand reappeared from wherever it had been behind Chad – and that was another thing Jared swore not to think about – and he folded his hands loosely before him as he leaned forward. “Your studio is canceling Open House Friday because of the ‘loose morals of today’s youth’. Take a look at this….”

He reached for the VCR remote, when Jensen asked, “How do you know this? Even I don’t know this!”

“I’ve got my sources,” Misha said with a grin. He clicked a button, and a grainy tape of the _Kris Kane Show_ started to play.

Jared recognized it as the day he’d danced, when Jensen had been singing and his whole world had changed in the span of a song.

“What are we supposed to be seeing?” Jensen asked, leaning forward as he stared at the TV, his T-shirt rucking up in back and revealing a tantalizing strip of skin above his jeans. Jared’s eyes didn’t know where to look, far preferring the view he had in his seat to whatever was on the television.

The scene was just like Jared remembered, though it was odd to have this omniscient view of events, knowing how things turned out, when at the time all he’d felt was a sickening mixture of fear and exhilaration. He remembered going still as the song ended, the crowd around him surging forward to offer their congratulations, the sense that things had finally gone right for a change.

What he saw was something else altogether.

What he saw was Jensen on stage, his eyes never leaving Jared’s dancing form, even when the music stopped and Jared was nearly buried behind the rush of people.

What he saw was Jensen’s face, glowing with a genuine smile as Jared looked up from the dance floor and their eyes met.

What he saw was….

“See that?” Misha asked.

“Huh?”

Jared blinked in confusion and glanced over at Jensen, who was leaning forward with his brow furrowed, squinting at the TV. Jensen slid to his knees to get closer, absently resting a hand on Jared’s thigh to keep his balance as he said, “Play it again.”

This time, Jared looked past the obvious – past himself center screen and Jensen on-stage – and he watched as Jensen’s finger brushed over the screen, directing his gaze to the almost unnoticeable flank of dancers who had targeted one corner of the screen and swept something quickly out of sight before Jared could notice what had happened.

“Again,” Jensen whispered.

It wasn’t obvious, but now that he knew what to look for, Jared saw it. A few of the featured dancers seemed to focus somewhere to the right off camera, and shortly thereafter danced their way through the crowd towards two girls who were dancing together. One leaned forward, as if closing in for a kiss, but a swell of dancers swept forward, edging them out of the line of the camera lens. It was a well-choreographed maneuver, looking utterly natural despite its intent, and the girls were swept off-screen without anyone around them noticing.

Jared glanced over at Misha, who stared steadily back at Jared before his eyes flicked down to Jensen’s figure on the floor in front of them.

“This isn’t the only example. It’s just the most recent.”

Jensen’s back was hunched, his hands lying loosely in his lap as he stared downwards at them. Jared reached out hesitantly, drawing his hand back at Jensen’s sudden intake of breath before finally resting it on his shoulder and giving it a soft squeeze. “You okay?” he asked gently.

Jensen gave a rough sigh, slumping back against Jared’s shins until the seated boy was supporting his full weight. “Not really. I knew the sponsors were strict; we had to keep our grades up and stay out of trouble or we’d be off the show, but this….?” Jensen took another breath. “They weren’t doing anything wrong. They were just dancing.”

“I’ve got a plan.” All eyes turned towards Misha as he sat forward in his seat with a devilish smile. “So…are you in?” 

                                                                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jared stared in wonder at the crowd mingling around him, the group as bizarre a mix of outsiders as he’d ever seen gathered together in one place – outside of high school that is.

There was a large group of Goth kids clustered around a black umbrella; the fact that it was already dark didn’t seem to phase them one bit. There were several boys and girls wearing a rainbow of colors, some outrageously outfitted and others more sedate, but all with a similar purpose – boys with boyfriends on their arms, girls hugging girlfriends, but most of them alone and determined. There was a large consortium of teens, some bespectacled, some a bit overweight, others in need of an immediate fashion makeover, but all with the silent signal that they weren’t part of the in-crowd. There were several kids leaning against motorcycles lining the sidewalk, absently smoking cigs as they talked about engines and detailing. But all had one thing in common.

They were different. Not in a bad way, but outside what had been deemed normal in this little town. And nearly every one of them held a sign protesting the end of Open House Friday, or claiming _Everyone Has a Right to_ _Dance_.

What surprised Jared the most was the largest group of kids, the group that didn’t look all that different, the ones that could blend in with the popular kids at school well enough that they didn’t get picked on or teased on a daily basis. They filled in the spaces between all of the others, until it was almost impossible to tell who belonged where, because they all made something beautiful.

“Where do you find all of these people?” Jensen asked in amazement.

“They come from all over – every town around here has more than one ambassador. I’ve even got several kids from San Antonio who drove out here to help,” Misha answered with a pleased smile. “The bigger the better, right Chad?”

“You ain’t got nothin’ to worry about in that department, babe,” Chad replied carelessly, staring off in the direction of the studio down the street from the park where they had gathered.

“Your show,” Misha began, his smile disappearing as he focused on business, “doesn’t just discriminate against gays, but everyone that isn’t like you. If you go back through the tapes, you’ll see that wasn’t the first time they pulled that little maneuver. It’s the policy of the showrunners to cull out those that don’t fit the stereotype they’re pushing – the perfect, white bread America that’s stuck in the 50’s.”

Jensen opened his mouth to speak, but quieted when Chad tugged on Misha’s hand and hissed, “Looks like we’ve got company.”

They turned towards the studio, where the sound of police sirens started to grow louder as they neared the park where the protest had gathered. Misha turned and cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting, “Let’s move! They can’t arrest us for peaceful protest! We want to be in front of the studio by the time the news crews show up!”

The mass of people slowly surged forward, signs waving as they walked. Jared turned to follow, but was held back by Jensen’s hand clutching his sleeve.

“C’mon, Jen,” Jared insisted, tugging at Jensen’s hand. “Let’s go. We want to be up front by Misha.”

Jensen’s eyes looked wide in the streetlights, his head slowly shaking back and forth. “Jay….Jay,” Jensen said, his breath coming faster. “I can’t do this.”

Jared’s heart stopped, and he just stared blankly at Jensen.

“That’s my chance, Jared,” Jensen insisted breathlessly. “My chance for the big time. The Miss Teen Dance Queen contest is tomorrow, and Ms. Ferris said there would be agents there. They’ll hear me sing, and they’ll take me to LA, and I’ll get out of this town and be able to do whatever I want! Whatever _we_ want,” Jensen hinted, grabbing at Jared’s hand and squeezing it. “We can do it together, once we’re out of here.”

Jared just stared down at Jensen’s fingers entwined with his, everything he ever wanted literally in the palm of his hand. Before he could think about the temptation, he shook Jensen’s grip loose, and took a step back.

“But what about everyone else?” Jared asked, his voice flat. “What about all these kids that need someone to stand up for them right here, right now?”

Jensen stared back at him, his lips pressed tightly together, and Jared’s face fell when Jensen said nothing. A second later he straightened his shoulders and said, “Fine. Then we’ll do it without you.”

He turned away and started jogging to catch up to the head of the crowd, leaving Jensen standing alone in the dark. 

                                                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chad slouched through the front door and threw himself on the couch, feet landing heavily on Jared’s lap.

“You going to get out of your pjs any time today, or are you attempting to destroy the ozone layer with your funk?” Chad wrinkled his nose as he took a deep whiff, fake gagging when he was done. “It’s like your BO and my gym socks had a baby, and it died in here.”

Jared refused to lift his head from the back of the couch, resolutely staring at the ceiling before covering his face with his wrinkled pillow. His voice was muffled by the fabric as he grumbled, “Go ‘way, Chad.”

“Don’t be such a girl,” Chad insisted, leaning forward to slap Jared’s stomach. “So, Jensen turned out to be a dick – no reason to hole up.” Chad snorted at his own choice of words. “Hole up….”

Jared lifted the edge of the pillow from his face and glared at Chad from the shadows. “I thought I said to go away.”

“Did you say something? I wasn’t listening.” Chad scooted forward, setting his feet on the floor. “Look, the contest is tonight, and you’re one of the front runners!”

“It’s _Miss_ Teen Dance _Queen_ , Chad. I think I’m out of the game.”

“That’s what you think. You don’t show, and Danneel automatically wins. You can’t let the Wicked Bitch of the West take it from you; that tiara has your name on it, Jay-man.”

Jared decided to ignore the ridiculousness of Chad’s statement, and instead focused on what he could control. “I’m not going.”

“Not through the front door, you’re not,” Chad agreed. “You’ve been banned from the studio. They’ve got guards at every entrance.”

Jared sat up, the pillow falling to the floor behind the couch as he stared in surprise at Chad. “What?”

“You’ve got ‘em scared, Jay.”

“What?” he said again, as it seemed to be the only word that applied.

“After last night, you’re big news. Haven’t you watched the tube at all today?”

Jared shook his head, a greasy lock of hair falling across his equally greasy forehead.

“I know Misha told you to scram when the cops got involved because he didn’t want to disqualify his dark horse from the show, but when the cops showed up to scare us off or drag us off to jail, a few of the kids got on the news. The studio released a statement that since you’re setting a bad example for the children of this town and its surrounding counties with your ‘immoral behavior’, that you’re no longer welcome on the program. You’re like the idol for teen homos everywhere. ”

“Immoral behavior?” Jared squeaked.

“Kissin’ dudes and suckin’ dick,” Chad said with a shrug. “Though they didn’t say it that way.”

“But I’ve never even kissed anyone before!” Jared complained. “Or…you know…anything else.”

Chad cackled in amusement. “Doesn’t matter what you’ve done, Jay, just what you are. They’re uptight bastards.”

“Wait,” Jared said with a slow blink, finally processing the rest of Chad’s statement. “Did you just say you were in jail?”

“Yep,” Chad admitted proudly. “Mom was _pissed_. She’d bet dad it would be another couple years before they had to bail me out.” Chad leaned back, arms stretched out across the back of the couch. “The big house ain’t so bad; I made Misha my prison bitch, so it was pretty awesome.”

Jared’s brow furrowed. “Yeah…about that…. Since when are you gay?”

“I’m not gay,” Chad insisted. “My dick just doesn’t discriminate. It, like, deserves a Nobel Peace Prize or something.”

“I’ll call the committee,” Jared said with a sigh, his head flopping back on the couch.

Chad poked him hard in the side. “Get up, princess. You got to make yourself all pretty for the cameras.”

“But how will we get in?” Jared didn’t wait a beat before realization struck and he rolled his eyes. “Let me guess, Misha’s got a plan.”

“Misha’s _always_ got a plan,” Chad said with a grin. 

                                                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“This is a really stupid plan,” Jared pointed out with a slight frown.

“As long as it works, I don’t see the problem,” Misha said, from his position atop Chad. He tried to adjust the trenchcoat he had draped over them both, but Chad grumbled about blindness, and Misha awkwardly popped a button on the coat, through which Jared could make out one of Chad’s blue eyes staring back at him.

Jared looked upwards to Misha balanced nearly three feet over his head, wavering unsteadily in his seated position on Chad’s shoulders.

“I’m not _that_ tall. There’s no way they’ll buy this.”

“Security is looking for Godzilla to attack the gates, Jay. They aren’t going to look for anything but hugeness,” Chad said impatiently from under the fabric. Misha nodded in agreement, placing a hat on his head to disguise his hair, his blue eyes shadowed beneath the brim of the cap.

“We’ll be the tallest thing out here, and once the guards leave the door to investigate, you can sneak right on in,” Misha stated with assurance

Jared studied the figure they made with obvious doubt, Chad struggling to keep Misha balanced on his shoulders.

“Just don’t Dutch oven me,” Chad complained loudly. “It’s hard enough to breath under here.”

Misha’s eyes widened, and he waved Jared back into the shadows of the alley. “Just start running, babe. The fuzz is coming.”

Chad took off immediately, the oddly balanced boys tilting precariously in different directions as Chad ran blindly down the street, nearly taking out a mailbox before Misha shouted a high-pitched “Left! _Left!”_ Chad skidded around a corner, Misha’s instructions sounding fainter as they hit the street, the dull pounding of the security guards’ feet slapping the pavement behind them.

Jared peeked out and saw that the door was clear. He quickly sidled his way over and slipped inside, the first phase of their plan complete. 

                                                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris glared at the board before he realized he was still on camera, and he pasted a fake smile across his face and turned to face the audience.

“Well, folks! Looks like Danneel’s still in the lead for Miss Teen Dance Queen. Keep those calls coming in!”

Danneel tossed him a triumphant smile, and Chris kept his expression frozen, staring forward into the crowd. “Now it’s time for a special treat - Jensen will sing us a song….”

After the introduction, Chris slumped against the wall when the camera turned to focus on the small stage in front of the band, and emitted a harsh huff of breath. A glass of something that didn’t smell like fruit punch was shoved under his nose, and he glanced at Steve with a thankful grin, and slugged back the whiskey before Ferris caught him.

“Thanks, man. I needed that.”

“She gonna win again?” Steve asked, leaning beside him as he jerked a thumb in Danneel’s direction.

“Looks like it. Home viewers just see the pretty face. We’re the ones who have to deal with her Madonna complex.”

“The singer, not the virgin, right?” Steve asked. Chris glanced at him to see his crooked grin. “Hey, I hear things.”

Chris snorted. “Yeah…sure.”

Steve leaned forward slightly and pointed towards one of the girls manning the telephone lines. “My break’s almost over. Talk to Lauren; she’s got something you might want to hear.”

Steve disappeared back towards the stage as Chris made his way over to the girl on the phone. As he approached he heard, “No, ma’am, I’m sorry, but Jared isn’t a contestant…because he’s a boy, and it’s _Miss_ Teen Dance Queen, not _Mister_. Yes, ma’am, I’ll tell management.” She hung up the phone with an exasperated sigh, blowing a stray piece of hair out of her eyes.

“What’s that all about?”

“The new kid is getting calls across the board. I don’t know who started it, but we’ve got more calls for him than for anyone else so far, and he’s not even eligible!”

Chris leaned forward to stare at her computer screen. “How do you know that?”

“Any of the girls on the council are eligible, but there’s always been the ‘Other’ vote option in case we got a new member and didn’t have time to officially add her name. Most of the people calling in are using that to vote for Jared instead of the rest of the council.” She tapped a few keys and shook her head in confusion. “This hasn’t happened since that time that one boy kept calling to vote for Jensen, and we finally blocked his number.”

Chris stared out into the crowd, watching Jensen start to dance with Danneel after his song. Danneel acted like she owned the room, and Jensen had that fake smile cemented in place, which was a sure sign the boy wasn’t happy about something.

Ms. Ferris stalked by, heels clicking almost angrily on the floor. “Chris, stop talking to the help and get back to work. It’s what we pay you for.” She disappeared into the audio booth where a couple of the sponsors sat, watching the show with a proprietary eye.

Chris watched them preening in the booth, practically fluffing each other until he was surprised that their egos all fit in that tiny space.

“Hey, darlin’,” Chris whispered against Lauren’s ear. “How ‘bout we shake things up a little?” 

                                                                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris bounded out on the main stage, arms flung wide open as the crowd cheered his arrival.

“Hey, cool cats! I’m back to give you an update on the Miss Teen Dance Queen contest. Seems we’ve got a dark horse that’s overtaken the field. C’mon, Lauren…show us the new leader board!”

Lauren did her best Vanna impersonation and bared all of her teeth in the semblance of a smile, eyes wide with apprehension as she pulled the curtain to reveal the tallies so far.

“ _What?!”_ Danneel’s shriek was echoed by Ms. Ferris’, though the older woman was thankfully off-screen, and was quickly muffled by one of the other studio heads.

On the board was the cause of her outrage, Jared’s name running neck and neck with Danneel’s, the other girls scattered behind them in varying degrees.

“That’s stupid!” Danneel called out, stamping her foot. “He’s a _boy_!”

Chris ignored her, eyeing Ms. Ferris with a wide smile. “According to our rules…” here Chris pulled out a three ring binder and read, “…‘any new council member whose name is not listed as an option for Miss Teen Dance Queen is still eligible, and can be voted for by pressing 9 and stating the contestant’s name.’” Chris slammed the book closed and announced, “Which means Jared is eligible! Keep on voting, kids. It looks like a close one!”

“But…he’s a boy!” Danneel said again, her hands on her hips as she glared up at Chris.

“Doesn’t say anything about being a boy or a girl, darlin’,” Chris replied easily. “Hit it, Steve!”

The band broke into a loud song to drown out Danneel’s complaints, and as Chris handed the binder back to Lauren he whispered, “Let’s hope the kid shows up. It doesn’t mean squat if he’s not here to collect.” 

                                                                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jared slunk through the door into the studio, keeping a wary eye out for Ms. Ferris or anyone that might be wearing a badge. Scanning the crowd, he thought he recognized several faces from the protest last night, but they spun by so quickly that he wasn’t sure he wasn’t just imagining things.

But what caught his gaze was Jensen.

Jensen was smiling as big as Jared had ever seen him, but it didn’t look like he was happy. He spun Danneel in the center of the crowd in a quick turn, before pulling her back and jitterbugging on.

Jared had made a science out of studying Jensen’s dancing over the past couple of years, and though Jensen was going through the motions with all of the grace he usually possessed, Jared could sense that he wasn’t having any fun.

That didn’t mean he didn’t give the impression he was having the time of his life. He could see several dark-suited people grouped by the wall, their sunglassed eyes tracking Jensen’s every move.

Maybe this was a mistake. He didn’t want to screw up Jensen’s big chance.

But when he raised his head to look at Jensen one more time, he saw Jensen standing stock still in the center of the dance floor, his mouth slightly open as his chest heaved under his fitted suit. His eyes locked with Jared’s, and the expression that swept over his face left no doubt that everything previously had been an act.

Jensen smiled, wide and bright, and walked towards Jared, even as Ms. Ferris and her cronies started pushing their way through the crowd. The last notes of the song that had been playing dissipated in the silence as the entire crowd stopped to watch, Chris bounding out onto the stage to join Steve in his prime position over the heads of the crowd.

Jensen stopped in front of Jared, their eyes locked as they stared at each other, ignoring the angry grumbling coming from the studio heads drawing closer. Jared waited, afraid to breathe, and Jensen just held out his hand, palm up, and asked simply, “Dance with me?”

A loud series of catcalls and wolf whistles erupted from the edge of the crowd, and Jared glanced over to see Misha in his rumpled trench coat standing beside Chad, both boys with their arms lifted over their heads in a victory cheer, their wrists highlighted by the shiny silver handcuffs that connected them together.

“Nobody puts JT in a corner!” Chad shouted, giving Jared a victorious fist pump.

A smile broke over Jared’s face as he laughed, and he placed his hand in Jensen’s. “You sure?”

Chris glanced at Steve and grabbed the mike, growling, “Let’s do this right, boys! Time to rock ‘n roll!” as the band slid into a fast-paced rockabilly riff, the first notes of Chris’ song nearly drowning out Jensen’s response as the two boys’ hips slotted together and they began to dance, the crowd surging into action around them.

Jensen’s smile was blinding, and Jared heard what was said – and what was unsaid - clear as a bell.

“For the first time.” 

  
                                                                 [[You Can't Stop the Beat](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGAPXLYyzbg)]

  



End file.
